Visit to Kosovo, Kos calls for stable institutions: Only this way will you move towards the EU

European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has called on the political spectrum to find common ground to end the long institutional deadlock and form stable institutions so that the country can move forward towards the European bloc.

Kos – on her first visit to Kosovo after taking office in 2024 – was initially welcomed in the morning by the acting president, Albulena Haxhiu, before meeting with the acting prime minister, Albin Kurti.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Kurti, Kos said that "there is no security in Europe without Kosovo."

But, she said that Kosovo - which does not yet have the status of a candidate country to join the bloc, must have stable and functional institutions as soon as possible.

"My clear call on this visit is for all political actors to find a way to restore stability," Kos said. Her visit is taking place at a time when the country has institutions in place as it is on the eve of early parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 7.

These are the third consecutive elections after those in February and December 2025.

Kos said that many reforms have stalled due to the repeat elections and Kosovo must catch up after a lost year in 2025.

"It is important that after the new Assembly is formed, political leaders in Kosovo unite and establish all institutions, including the election of a new president through compromise, and end this long institutional stalemate," she said.

"Kosovo has a great European perspective. And for me personally, I am eager to increase the intensity of work with Kosovo once the new institutions are formed," Kos emphasized.

Kurti, on the other hand, said that "we had a productive and direct meeting."

This is Kosi's first visit to Kosovo since she took office at the European Commission on December 1, 2024.

Since taking office, she has visited all other countries involved in the European Union's enlargement process, both in the Western Balkans and in the Eastern Partnership, some of them more than once.

During 2025, the lack of her visit to Kosovo was justified by European officials with the lack of functional institutions in the country, due to the political crisis that has accompanied Kosovo in recent months.

A visit by Kos to Pristina was planned for March 12, but it was canceled after former Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani decided on March 6 to dissolve the Kosovo Assembly.

However, last week sources in Brussels told Radio Free Europe that it is now assessed that the visit should take place regardless of the political situation, as it is not expected to change profoundly in a short period of time.

In late April, Kos told the European Parliament that he expects to visit Kosovo soon to talk to its leaders about reforms related to the Growth Plan.

"We have lifted the measures and expect the Government to continue with the necessary reforms to benefit from EU support. I will soon be in Pristina to take this issue forward," she stated.

On April 16, Kosovo received 61.8 million euros in pre-financing from the European Union under the Growth Plan, after ratifying the relevant agreements and submitting the necessary documentation to the European Commission.

The EU package for the Western Balkans for the period 2024-2027 is worth 6 billion euros.

According to budget allocations, Kosovo is entitled to around 882 million euros, of which 253 million euros are grants and 629 million euros are loans.

During a hearing at the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in April, Kos also spoke about the five European Union member states that do not recognize Kosovo's independence.

Asked by the rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Riho Terras, regarding contacts with non-recognizing states, she said that developments in this regard are "encouraging", without providing further details.

Greece, Spain, Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus continue to not recognize Kosovo's independence, declared in 2008, which is considered an obstacle to Kosovo's advancement on the path towards European integration./REL